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Casualities
WE know of more than a dozen full-time pastors who have fallen because of sexual sins, about ten others who experienced frustration and problems in the ministry and gave up, and another dozen who became ineffective and were sidelined. The total score: almost three dozen full-time ministers in Malaysia and Singapore whom we personally know, have ended up wounded and disillusioned, and in some cases have had their lives "destroyed.’ Although about ten of them have managed to come back to the ministry, their effectiveness has never been the same again. These were people who once felt called and had entered the ministry with anticipation. A dozen key church leaders we know had also fallen into grievous sin or else, for various reasons, had left the church.
As my husband and I, in preparing to write this article, look back on the 25 years we have been in the pastoral ministry, we are saddened to have known of these casualties among our contemporaries. This type of statistics is both frightening and tragic, and certainly would provide enough reason for us to seriously appeal for prayer support for our pastors and leaders.
What are some of the reasons or issues that have contributed to these failures? I can think of the following:
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Pastors and leaders are up-front people. They, together with their families, live in goldfish bowls. They must constantly be seen doing and saying all the right things, demonstrating right attitudes and carrying out right actions besides providing dynamic leadership. Such pressure takes a heavy toll and many are unable to bear it.
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Pastors and leaders naturally become targets of Satan’s warfare. Much has been said in this regard about their humanness and vulnerability and how strategic it is for the enemy to make them casualties, so there is no real need to further elaborate.
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Poor support, lack of encouragement and appreciation in a very demanding situation are also serious issues; in fact they are more serious than we care to think. In a recent sermon on leadership, my husband described the dilemma faced by a fulltime minister in this way: He must be strong like an eagle in doctrine, gentle like a dove in caring; get up with the lark to pray, stay up late like an owl to work; be friendly like a pigeon to all, be patient like a buzzard in all situations; but when it comes to his needs, he is fed like a sparrow - just enough!
From what I know, words like: "I enjoy your sermon; I appreciate the sacrifices you are making; thank you for your insight; I support your leadership; we faithfully pray for you" expressed at appropriate times are treasured like gold by pastors and church leaders. Unfortunately, most of the time when members of the congregation speak to them, it is to complain, protest or criticize.
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Too much work and too little recreation is also a serious issue. Some pastors and leaders are the so called workaholics but most of the time, for the diligent ones, there are just too many things to take care of. Those who are not effective in ministry do not last long anyway but for those who do, the problem is usually too many demands on their time. My husband and I have, on several occasions, invited pastors and their families to come for regular fellowship and to enjoy the facilities at our condominium. We have yet to see them respond even though those invited have always said that this is a good idea.
Pastors and spouses need to be able to afford to take getaway and reading breaks n order to stay fresh in ministry. Furlough breaks are vital for renewal. But as I understand it, most pastors have either not been given or taken sabbatical leave. This is an important issue and churches need to discuss this and come to a decision on this matter.
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Pastors and church leaders, because of time constraints, do not spend enough time in prayer and fellowship with those they work with. If they can develop real friendships, several potentially divisive and unpleasant issues can be resolved and injury eliminated.
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The spouses of pastors and leaders need a lot of prayer support simply because they are human and therefore have weaknesses. Some of them are career-minded and cannot labour beside their spouses. Others tend to nag and have over-bearing personalities. Some are over ambitious for their husbands (the spouse of a local missionary lamented that her husband was big talent put to small use). All these make for interesting and sometimes explosive episodes with members of their respective congregations and the ministry could well be affected.
I have listed above some very obvious reasons why pastors and church leaders cannot do without the under-girding ministry of prayer. The list is by no means exhaustive. We can never conclusively answer the question: "Who pastors the pastor?" but Christians can definitely, through prayer, support and thereby increase the effectiveness of the ministry of their spiritual leaders. There was a time when churches, especially the more traditional ones, would withhold full support and honorific address for their pastors until they had proven themselves faithful and able in the different areas of their responsibilities. This included the ability to endure longsuffering. Today, confidence in leadership appears to have shifted toward the installation of men and women who have proven themselves in the secular world. I believe the biblical emphasis on the qualifications for church leaders is always on the calling, the training, the faithfulness in life and ministry and the prayer support given to them. The leader himself will have to be responsible for the first three requirements. The church will have to bear the responsibility for the prayer support.
Please remember to pray for your pastor and church leaders.
Tik Aye ministers alongside her husband, Ronnie Teoh, Pastor of Balai Baptis Kalvari, Petaling Jaya. The Teohs have an extensive family crisis intervention ministry. They have two sons. Ernie works for a bank in the area of IT and Willy is a college student. |
